Typical, I live in the Netherlands, but I discover this video of a boy singing about his home life via a blogger in America. Thanks, Terrance, and the song’s not bad either.
Category: Society
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Like Fish In A Barrel
The wonderful duo of Penn & Teller on religious icons. Never underestimate the gullibility of humans. And, we have a worthy successor to Dr. Pierre Barbet. Step forward, Fred Zugibe! Your sterling work to prove the authenticity of the Turin Shroud will not go unremarked. -
Maupin Interviewed
There’s a nice interview of Armistead Maupin in today’s Guardian. As well of the man himself, you also get a sense of how he was shaped by the city that he lives in: San Francisco. It reminded me of the time (in 1995) when we were there and went on the walking tour of the Castro that was organised by Trevor Hailey. She used the tour to give our little group a fascinating history lesson on the society and characters of the city through the span of a century.
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A Good Place To Be
I’ve often remarked on this blog that I’m happy that I have ended up in The Netherlands, given that the attitudes towards gay people here are more relaxed than in practically any other country.Now, Ingrid Robeyns, over at Crooked Timber, draws my attention to some just published research on societal attitudes towards gay people in The Netherlands. Broadly speaking, the research confirms my gut feelings. There are just two small clouds on the horizon. One being that the growing Muslim community in the Netherlands do not accept gay people (including those in their midst who are gay and Muslim themselves). Secondly, the Justice Minister, Piet Hien Donner, has just aired the view that he can conceive of Sharia law being introduced into The Netherlands. Erm, if that happens, then presumably Martin and I will be stoned to death or hanged… This is not something that either of us would look forward to… -
The Age Of Horrorism
It has a terrible title, but the essay by Martin Amis in today’s Observer is well worth reading. It’s a long essay, too; but in an age where the short attention span is king, this essay, in all sorts of ways, shows that the emperor has no clothes. A brilliant piece of writing that has truth running through it like the words in a piece of seaside rock. -
Memories, Truth, and Propaganda
The media is full of items on a certain anniversary at the moment. And, like the theme of my last entry, the question that comes to my mind is "what’s true and what isn’t?". Or, to put it another way, "what’s true and what’s just propaganda?".Liz Marcs writes an extraordinarily powerful piece on people’s memories of events that shape them. Go and read it. Now.(hat tip to Nicholas Whyte for the link) -
Dropping Knowledge
Tomorrow sees the start of an event: Dropping Knowledge. Billed as112 of the world’s most compelling thinkers, artists, writers, scientists, social entrepreneurs, philosophers and humanitarians from around the world will come together in Berlin, Germany, as guests of dropping knowledge.Seated around the worlds largest table in historic Bebelplatz square, these inspiring individuals, renowned for their lasting creative or social contribution, will engage with 100 questions out of the thousands donated to dropping knowledge by the international public.Hmm. I’m just an old cynic, but this seems to be more of a media event than anything else. The "one minute video" on the home page of the Dropping Knowledge web site crystallises all my misgivings. A slick, oleaginous piece of puffery that makes me want to reach for the sick bucket within 10 seconds. And who on earth came up with that awful name: Dropping Knowledge? Plop. -
Grimm Fairy Tale
Lucy Mangan writes an excellent piece in today’s Guardian on the strange story of Natascha Kampusch. I think she’s right, there is something about the story that makes it feel like a medieval folk tale, an archetype collected and retold by the Brothers Grimm. -
Sign Of The Times
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has a new report on the state of the world’s population out today: A Passage To Hope – about women and international migration. I call it a sign of the times for two reasons. The first is that it is good to see the information spotlight being put on to migrant women, who often seem to be invisible as far as international policymakers are concerned. And second, as well as being available in traditional format, the report is available in a hyperlinked format for easy reading directly via the web.(hat tip to A Fistful of Euros for the link) -
It’s A Boy!
Well, whoopie-doo! But why do I get the feeling that girl babies are still seen as having less worth than boy babies, even in countries that are technologically very advanced. Must be the Nunberg Error again. Echidne has noticed the same thing. Same old, same old… -
Granny Is Gone
A little while back, I came across a blog with the intriguing title of "Granny Gets A Vibrator". Written by Liz, a weightlifting woman in her fifties, now living alone and diagnosed with cancer. She wrote very fluently about her life, and interactions with other people. I was a regular reader. But now, her blog has disappeared, and no longer accessible on the internet.Kerryn Goldsworthy, over at her blog, Pavlov’s Cat, writes more about the background and echoes my feelings about the disappearance of Liz’s blog. Like her, I hope that Liz is OK. -
The Nunberg Error
Geoff Nunberg writes about the phenomenon seen in many extrapolations of technological change: vast strides forward in technology with apparently zero movement in sociological change. This effect is seen so often that Alex Pang makes the case for naming it the Nunberg Error. I’ll support that. Geoff Nunberg also likes the idea, and points to another pleasing example of the eponymous error. -
Scary Stuff
Via The Proper Study of Mankind, I came across the trailer to a new documentary film: Jesus Camp. Very scary stuff – all the more so because this is real, not fiction. PSOM’s comment on the film is worth reading too. Doubtless, halfway around the world is the mirror image of Jesus Camp: Allah Camp, equally scary, equally stoking the fires of human conflict. -
Two Data Points
The first is Johann Hari’s column on Shazia Mirza (a Muslim woman stand-up comic), and by extension, the unattractive face of Islamic fundamentalists.The second is Muhajababes, a book by Allegra Stratton, which illustrates the multiple facets of Islamic youth.Which is true? Why, they both are. That’s the panoply of humanity: good, bad, wacked and sane… -
Only Connect
Houtlust has a link to an interesting Ad campaign in Germany. Martin worked with mentally handicapped children and adults for years. He knew how to behave with them. I did my best, but I think I tried too hard at times. Sometimes I should just go with the flow… -
The Commitment To Development Index
Ethan Zuckerman, over at the WorldChanging blog, draws our attention to the annual report from the Center for Global Development on how well countries commit to international development and global aid. It’s worth reading his take on the results. The overall leader, when measured against the various dimensions, is the Netherlands. However, as he points out, while it leads in many measures, it is only average in the measure of Migration (The movement of people from poor to rich countries provides unskilled immigrants with jobs, income and knowledge. This increases the flow of money sent home by migrants abroad and the transfer of skills when the migrants return). Worse still, its score on this measure has been falling rapidly over the past three years. Methinks I detect the baleful influence of the lovely Rita Verdonk at work here. -
Positive Blasphemy
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The Definition Of Child Abuse
OK, so this is fourth hand; me quoting a journalist quoting a Microsoft manager who quoted a "Norwegian psychologist" as saying:“taking a mobile phone away from a teenage girl is the same as child abuse.”Um, hello, what planet of hyperbole is this person from? I feel my inner Victor Meldrew struggling to let rip. However, let me treat it with the disdain that it deserves and turn to the broader point that the Microsoft manager, Anne Kriah, was making. And that was that the upcoming generation of jobseekers expect, as of right, to have internet access at their place of work. If their prospective employer doesn’t offer this, then in her words:“These kids are saying: forget it! I don’t want to work with you. I don’t want to work at a place where I can’t be freely online during the day.”
I would say, let’s define the word "freely" pretty carefully. If I am at work and I have access to the internet in order to do my job effectively, then fine. But if I am simply surfing the net (or spending hours on the phone chatting with friends) instead of doing my job, then I am hardly fulfilling my side of the bargain with my employer. -
Twisty Faster – I’ll Have Some Of That
My favourite spinster aunt shows why she is the bee’s knees of lucid thinking. Nike and fashion – two words guaranteed to make me foam at the mouth. -
Terror Has No Religion
Zeid Nasser, over at Ad Blog Arabia, draws our attention to a new Ad campaign targeting Iraq. The television commercial is pretty powerful stuff, but I really wonder how effective it will be at influencing those who commit the violence. Via the blog, I was led to another blog: Houtlust – a blog devoted to non-profit advertising and social campaigns. My eye was immediately caught by this entry pointing to confrontational advertising protesting against the act of stoning to death. Also very powerful.
